1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to data processing. More specifically, the invention relates to controlling access to digital images based on device proximity.
2. Description of the Related Art
The technologies of digital cameras and the Internet have been widely adopted by consumers. As a result, there is a growing demand for the sharing of digital photographs and video (hereafter referred to as “digital images”). One solution is provided by websites that host digital images, such as Flickr®, Snapfish®, Yahoo Photos®, and the like. Many image hosting websites enable a user to define an access list, which specifies the people who are authorized to view a particular group of digital images.
Typically, the user creates an access list by manually inputting the people who are authorized to access the digital images. Once the digital images are posted on the website, people on the access list may access the digital images from the website. However, this process is not always a practical method of creating an access list. In some situations (e.g., weddings, parties, public events, etc.), there may be a large number of people who may wish to access the digital images. In such situations, the manual input method of creating an access list is often labor-intensive and inefficient.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for techniques for controlling access to digital images.